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Harissa Shrimp and Chickpea Skillet

Name: Harissa Shrimp and Chickpea Skillet
Prep time: 19 min
Total time: 21 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: olive oil — 27 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 12 g; sesame seed paste — 41 g; cumin — 5 g; tomatoes — 794 g; chickpeas — 425 g; chicken broth — 237 g; shrimp — 454 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; feta cheese crumbles — 28 g; cilantro leaves — 15 g; lemon — 65 g

Harissa Shrimp and Chickpea Skillet reads umami 5.8, citrus 5.3 and sourness 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern main, about 21 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.4 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.8 · Citrus 5.3 · Sourness 5.0 · Salinity 4.9 · Fruity 4.3 · Allium 4.1 · Richness 4.0 · Nutty 3.1 · Marine & Briny 3.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.5 · Sweetness 2.4 · Earthy 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (14)

olive oil — 27 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 12 g
sesame seed paste — 41 g
cumin — 5 g
tomatoes — 794 g
chickpeas — 425 g
chicken broth — 237 g
shrimp — 454 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
feta cheese crumbles — 28 g
cilantro leaves — 15 g
lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 21 min (19 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 116.8 kcal, 8.4 g protein, 2.9 g fat, 14.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Pat the shrimp dry, toss with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the black pepper, and refrigerate while you build the sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, harissa paste, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the harissa deepens in color, about 1 minute — don't let the garlic brown.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, add the chickpeas and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and bring to a steady simmer over medium heat. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes.
Nestle the seasoned shrimp into the sauce in a single layer, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout and curled into a loose C, 4-5 minutes, checking the largest shrimp for doneness (internal temperature 145F).
Remove the skillet from the heat as soon as the shrimp are done — carryover heat will finish any stragglers, and lingering on the burner is what turns shrimp rubbery. Let stand, covered, 1 minute.
Taste the sauce and season with more salt if needed, then scatter with the feta and cilantro.
Serve hot straight from the skillet with lemon wedges for squeezing over each portion.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Harissa Chickpea Pasta with Feta — Mediterranean
Harissa Butter Shrimp Pasta — Fusion
Greek Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta — Greek
Harissa Roasted Salmon Bowls — Middle Eastern
Lemon Herb Seared Scallops with Orzo — Mediterranean

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.